Book Review of BENEATH THE LIES by Riann C. Miller

BLURB:

Beneath the lies are emerald eyes.

Growing up an only child, Kate Reynolds lived a normal, almost sheltered life. When the unthinkable happens and Kate is left all alone in the world, and set to inherit her parents’ fortune, she discovers the evils that truly exist.

Gavin Loman has a tumultuous past: losing his father at a young age, a mother with a destructive personality, and buried secrets even he does not truly understand the depths of. Striking out on his own, he is finally making a name for himself . . . until a green-eyed girl who haunts his dreams comes crashing into his life.

When hidden truths are unveiled and pasts collide, Gavin must protect those he loves from becoming victims to the terrors of his childhood. However, not everything is as it seems . . .

What would you do if everything you held dear was threatened? When the truth you believed is weaved with lies?

***CAN BE READ AS STANDALONE***

Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

MY REVIEW:

This is book from my early 2016 TBR pile on my kindle.  I didn’t remember what the story was about, and by looking at the cover, I thought it might be erotica.  Steamy romance, but not erotica, so the cover really doesn’t fit the genre. 

This is your typical boy meets girl, the back & forth in their relationship, and then the HEA.  The difference in this story is that the boy meets girl when they are very young children, then meet later as adults.  Kate returns into Gavin’s life when her parents have been killed and she’s left alone.  Leeta, a long-time friend of her parents, reaches out to her and offers her a place to stay at her luxurious home.  But, there’s more to Leeta than Gavin or Kate realizes. 

This tale is so much more than just romance.  There’s murder, mystery, and intrigue.  As the story unfolds, we learn that the relationship between Leeta, Gavin’s mother, and Kate’s parents wasn’t what she said.  Gavin has turned away from his mother as she is a wicked, vile woman who uses everyone for her gain.  So, he can’t understand why Leeta has asked Kate to stay with her.  He knows Leeta has an ulterior motive.  What does she gain from her lies and acting like she cares? 

Leeta makes a great villain.  We get a glimpse of her persona in the epilogue.  I’m not sure if that hurt or helped the story.  As the reader, I already knew she was mean, so maybe this should have been revealed during the story.  Still, since we, the reader, knows she’s mean, we wait with anticipation for when she finally unveils her true nature.   

I don’t want to post spoilers, so I won’t, but there are surprises aplenty in this story.  One I kinda of thought was out of the realm of possibility.  It has to do with a drug lord in Mexico.  But, that also sets up the next story in the series.  I have to admit, when I read the last two paragraphs, I had to buy the next book. 

So, if you love a good steamy romance with lots of mystery and intrigue, I recommend this book.  I give it 4 stars.